Ground-effect transportation system

ABSTRACT

A GUIDING DEVICE FOR A TRACKED AIR CUSHION VEHICLE MOVABLE OVER A GUIDEWAY HAVING A DISSYMMETRICAL UPWARD EXTENSION LATERALLY OFFSET RELATIVELY TO THE BASE SECTION OF THE GUIDEWAY, SAID GUIDING DEVICE BEING CARRIED BY THE BODY PORTION OF THE VEHICLE AT A LATERALLY OFFSET LOCATION AND EXTENDING ASTRIDE SAID EXTENSION TO ENGAGE THE OPPOSITE FACES THEREOF.

Nov. 23, 1971 J. H. BERTIN 3,s21,1sa

GROUND-EFFECT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Filed Dec. 11, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Han-'1 HITDRIVEyS Nov. '23, 1971 J, -rm 3,521,788

GROUND-EFFECT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Filed Dec. 11, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 8 v" v 512 5 I 3 I 5a 4 J [V 1V In v E/VTDR JE-P/a/ H. BER T/IV p ron/ways United States Patent U.S. Cl. 10423 FS 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A guiding device for a tracked air cushion vehicle movable over a guideway having a dissymmetrical upward extension laterally offset relatively to the base section of the guideway, said guiding device being carried by the bodyi portion of the vehicle at a laterally offset location and extending astride said extension to engage the opposite faces thereof.

Transportation systems are already known which comprise a ground-effect machine and a track along which the machine moves. U.S. Pats. 3,190,235, 3,330,384 and 3,347,170. describe such systems, wherein the machine is guided at least partly by the interposition of masses of fluid under pressure between the machine structure and two opposite surfaces of the track.

According to this invention, the machine guide members may be supported by at least two structures extending externally from the body of the machine and co-operating respectively with the two opposite surfaces of a track extension on one side of which the said machine body moves. In an alternative embodiment, the guide members may be supported by at least two structures disposed in a longitudinal slot in the machine body respectively registering with the two opposite surfaces of the track, the said longitudinal slot being formed in a plane offset from the central longitudinal plane of the machine. It is advantageous for the said slot to be situated as far away as possible from the said central longitudinal plane of the machine, i.e. to dispose it as close as possible to one of the sidewalls thereof.

The structures according to the invention may either be separately .fitted to the machine or be made integral therewith. They form the two arms of a gripper which co-operates'lwith the opposite surfaces of the track extension.

According to a preferred arrangement, the structures are connected to the machine by means which promote its passage over a curved track. These structures may, for example, pivot about a substantially vertical axis as described in U.S. Pat. 3,332,361.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a transportation system comprising improvements according to the invention, on the line I I in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3.=is a section view of a detail to an enlarged scale on the line III-III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 a cross-section on the line IVIV in FIG. 5, showing another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial section on the line V--V in 'FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a machine 1 comprising a cabin 2 is supported on the surface 3 of the track by means of pressure fluid cushions confined in enclosures 4 bounded by deformable walls 10.

The machine guide members are borne by structures 6, 7, 8 and 9 co operating with a prismatic extension 5 of the tr'ack 3, one one side of which the cabin 2 moves. These structures (of which four are shown in the example) are grouped in pairs near the ends of the machine, the resulting systems bearing the references 11, 12. Each structure system 11 and 12 is connected to a side wall 13 of the cabin by telescopic arms 14 and is held in position by known resilient means (not shown) which if required may be housed in the telescopic arms 14. The later are secured to the wall 13 and to the structure systems 11, 12 by joints 21.

The extension 5 is herein referred to as prismatic so as to encompass any form which includes opposed wall surfaces, either parallel or inclined relative to each other, but in either event which are adapted to be acted upon by the air cushions so as to provide respective oppositely directed horizontal force components.

As will be apparent more particularly from FIG. 3, the structures 6, 7, 8 and 9 comprise walls 20 and walls 15 which together with the surfaces 5a, 5b confine pressure fluid cushions. The free ends of the walls 15 are adjacent but are separated from the corresponding surfaces 5a, 5b. The resulting enclosures are connected, preferably independently to a pressure fluid source 22 via conduits, e.g. 18, comprising deformable portions 19, for supplying the cushions.

The arms 14 pivotally connected at 21 enable the structures automatically to adopt a position substantially parallel to the extension 5 of the track 3 as a result of the plurality of cushions fed independently and formed between each of the structures and the surfaces of the track extension 5, even if the latter is curved.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment in which guidance is obtained by pressure fluid cushions formed in enclosures, eg; 30 and 31, said cushions bearing against the surfaces 5a, 5b of the track extension 5.

These enclosures 30, 31 are borne by guide structures disposed in the slot 34 formed in the machine substantially parallel to the central longitudinal plane thereof.

The structures are connected to the cabin 2 by means of an arm 35 to which they are fitted by ajoint 36 having its axis substantially perpendicular to the surface 3 and parallel to the extension 5-. This arm slides in a bore 37 and is urged towards the interior of the machine by a spring 38. The shock absorber 39 reduces or cancels out the periodic movements of each structure with respect to the cabin.

These structures have the same number of cushion enclosures on each side of their pivot axis 36 or arm 35.

Each cushion is preferably fed independently with pressure fluid via conduits, e.g. 41, comprising deformable portions 42 and connected to pressure fluid sources, e.g. '45.

The structures are prevented from rotating by means of stops which co-operate with guides 44.

As in the previous embodiment, the plurality and arrangement of. the pressure fluid cushions interposed between the structures and the surfaces 5a, 5b cause the structures to adopt a position substantially parallel to the said surfaces even on track curves.

I claim:

1. A ground-effect transportation system comprising: a dissymmetrical track with a fluid cushion bearing surface and a prismatic extension which projects therefrom and which comprises two mutually backed outer guide surfaces facing away from each other, said bearing surface and said extension being laterally offset with respect to and wholly clear of each other, and a ground-effect machine movable along said track with the interposition of a fluid cushion formed against said bearing surface, said machine comprising a body portion supported by said fluid cushion, and an external guiding device mechanically attached to said body portion and projecting from a side thereof to a laterally-ofl set outside location with respect thereto, in Which said guiding device extends astride said extension, said guiding device comprising two mutually fronted inner conjugate means bearing respectively against said guide surfaces and a fluid supply duct leading to the outermost one of said two conjugate bearing means and having the general shape of an inverted U straddling said laterally-offset extension, whereby said laterally-offset extension is sandwiched between said two mutually fronted conjugate bearing means of said laterally-offset guiding device external to said machine body portion, and wherein said conjugate bearing means comprise two oppositely facing plenum chamberspositioned on both sides of said laterally-offset extension and defining with the respective guide surfaces fluid cushions between which said extension is sandwiched, each plenum chamber comprising a backing plane extending generally parallel to said guide surfaces and a peripheral Wall means projecting from said backing plate toward the respective guide surface, and wherein said laterally-offset guiding device comprises support means carrying said backing plate for angular displacement relatively'to said machine body portion about an axis substantially parallel to said guide surfaces and perpendicular to the direction of motion of said machine.

2. A ground-effect transportation system comprising: a dissymrnetrical track with a fluid cushion bearing surface and a prismatic extension which projects therefrom and which comprises two mutually backed outer guide surfaces facing away from each other, said bearing surface and said extension being laterally offset with respect to and wholly clear of each other, and a ground-effect machine movable along said track with the interposition of a fluid cushion formed against said bearing surface, said machine comprising a body portion supported by said fluid cushion, and an external guiding device mechanically attached to said body portion and projecting from a side thereof to a laterally-offset outside location with respect thereto, in which said guiding de'vice extends astrid e said ext ens ionfsa id guiding device comprising two mutually fronted inner conjugate means bearing respectively against said guide surfaces and a fluid supply duct leading to the outermost one of said two conjugate bearing means and having the genereal shape of an inverted U straddling said laterally-otfrate and distinct plenum chambers are associated with a I,

same backing plate at locations thereof spaced longitudi nally with respect to said direction of motion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 936,395 10/1909 Worthington 10423 138' 975,650 11/1910 Steinweg 19149 1,411,597 4/1922 Trask 10423 ES 3,048,454 7/1963 Maestrelli 104244.l 3,190,235 6/1965 Smith et al 10423 PS 3,233,559 2/1966 Bertin et al l04'148 LM 3,381,541 5/1968 Thireau et al. 10423FS 3,417,709 12/1968 Bertin 10423 FS 3,443,524 5/1969 Schneider 10423 FS FOREIGN PATENTS 598 3/1865 England 104156 ARTHU-R L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner D. W. KEEN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 104134 

